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Prerequisite Course Requirements for BSN

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Nursing (CON) located in Memphis, TN offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) that prepares individuals for entry-level professional nursing positions in a variety of acute care and community settings. Three BSN degree options are available:

• Option I: Traditional BSN … Full-time, primarily face-to-face, 3-term program for transfer students who have completed 60 or more semester hours of coursework at another college/university, including the prerequisite courses shown in Prerequisite Courses Table. (Note: The prerequisite requirements show that individuals may not enter the Traditional BSN program directly from high school.)
• Option II: Second Degree BSN … Full-time, primarily face-to-face, 3-term program for individuals who have a bachelor's degree or higher in another field and who have completed the courses shown in the Prerequisites Courses Table.
• Option III: RN to BSN … Primarily face-to-face, 3-term program for registered nurses (RN) who already hold a diploma or associate degree in nursing and who have completed 60 semester hours of non-nursing college credits.

Prerequisite Courses1

1. Numbers in table represent “semester hours” from regionally accredited colleges and universities completed with a grade of C or higher. The prerequisite courses in this table are not offered by the UTHSC, College of Nursing.
2. Option I & II (Traditional/ 2 nd degree): There is a 10 year age limit on the science prerequisite courses.
   Option III (RN-BSN): There is no age limit on science prerequisite courses.
3. At least 6 credit hours of historical studies must be completed at the collegiate level (i.e., 6 hours of college-level history). Also, an American History requirement must also be met. This requirement can be met either by completing one credit of American History in high school or two semesters (6 credit hours) of American History in College. If the American History requirement is met in high school, it does not count toward the 6-hour Historical Studies prerequisite requirement.
4. The 60-semester-hour (minimum) prerequisite represents post-high-school academic achievement.
5. “Bachelor Degree” means a baccalaureate degree or higher from a regionally accredited college or university (or approved international equivalent).
6. The 60 semester hours must be in addition to those completed during the RN program.